Method and apparatus for refrigerating freight cars



C. PHILLIPS Aprifl 5, 1938.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REFRIGERATING FREIGHT CARS Filed June 21, 1932 F Vi il /AI I INVENTOR.

CHAR LE5 PHIL L/Ps BY fi. W

ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 5, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Charles Phillips, Salinas, Calif.

Application June 21, 1932, Serial No. 618,438

9 Claims.

certain perishable commodities such as fresh vegetables or fish in freight cars prior to shipment, to manually distribute quantities of crushed ice over the commodities after they had been properly placed in the cars. This method of refrigeration has proven to be comparatively unsatisfactory and expensive, principally because the crushed ice when manually placed over the crates containing the commodities is not ordinarily distributed so as to entirely cover and seal the openings normally present between the crates. Unless the perishable commodities. are properly covered with the crushed ice and thereby sealed from the air circulating or present in the freight car, there is apt to be a resulting spoilage of the commodities. My invention contemplates the use of novel apparatus which is capable of mechanically distributing quantities of crushed ice under pressure over the perishable commodities packed in crates within freight cars. By mechanically distributing the crushed ice under pressure over the crated commodities, the openings normally present between the crates are sealed, thereby preventing the surrounding warm air from contacting with the conmiodities. Through the mechanical distribution of the crushed ice, in accordance with my invention, rather than by the variable and unsatisfactory manual methods now commonly used, an even layer of firmly packed ice may be readily placed over the commodities packed in anumber of freight cars. It is of considerable importance when packing certain kinds of fresh vegetables in freight cars prior to shipment, that the crushed ice be applied without undue delay, otherwise the surrounding warm air is apt to affect the condition of the vegetables before the cars are properly refrigerated. When a number of freight cars containing perishable vegetables are to be refrigerated at the same time, it is highly important that no time be lost in placing the crushed ice within the cars. By means of the novel apparatus comprising my invention, it is possible to mechanically refrigerate a number of freight cars within a much shorter period of time than is now possible with the methods now commonly employed.

The principal object of my invention, therefore, is to provide a. novel and improved method and apparatus for refrigerating freight cars.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown my improved apparatus in a form which is .now

preferred by me, it being understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a refrlgeratin unit, illustrating the relative positions of the freight cars to be refrigerated, the movable ice blower or distributor, and the ice supplying means with which the distributor contacts; I

Fig. 2 is an end view of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1, showing the ice supplying structure in vertical cross-section; and

Fig. 3 is an end view of another type of structure for mounting the movable ice distributor or blower, showing parts of the apparatus in vertical cross-section.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I designates a building structure which ordinarily constitutes a supply base for the ice utilized in refrigerating the freight cars 2 containing the perishable commodities to be shipped from one point to another. The building structure I is ordinarily provided with a. forwardly extending platform 3 which is positioned adjacent a railroad track over which the freight cars are operated. Suitably supported in an elevated position at the front side of the building structure, is an ice conveyor or trough 4 which extends approximately the full length of the said building structure. One end of the ice conveyor communicates with a crusher 5 which serves to break large pieces of ice into sizes capable of being readily handled by the apparatus employed in distributing the same over the perishable commodities packed within the freight cars. The conveyor 4 is provided at certain points on its underneath side, with openings 5 which may be closed by suitable covers or doors when not in use. The crushed ice emerging from the crusher 5 is ordinarily actuated by the force of gravity or other suitable means through the conveyor 4 to one of the openings 5, from whence it falls into a chute 6. The chute 6 is ordinarily mounted with its open top end located directly beneath the particular opening 5 through which the crushed ice in the conveyor 4 is to proceed. The chute may be moved by hand from one of the openings 5 to another and any suitable means may be employed to support and hold the same in a proper operating position. Movably mounted on the platform 3-, (Figs. 1 and 2) is a blower 'l which embodies any type of construction now well known in the art. The blower is preferably mounted on wheels so as to permit the same to be conveniently moved from a point opposite the door of one freight car to a. point Opposite the door of another freight car. The blower embodies a hopper 8 for receiving quantities of.

crushed ice delivered by the chute 0, and also suitable electrically operated mechanism for blowing or otherwise discharging the crushed ice under pressure through a flexible tube 8. The tube 9 is suitably connected at one end. to the blower 1 and is of sumcient size to convey the crushed ice discharged from the blower to the particular freight car to be refrigerated.

As shown in Fig. 3 the blower I may be mounted in an elevated position on suitable tracks III which are supported at the front side of the building structure I. When the blower is thus mounted in an elevated position above the platform 3, the freight cars may be made accessible for loading purposes without any particular interference on account of the refrigerating mechanism.

In ordinary practice the freight cars 2 are packed with crates of vegetables or other commodities to the points indicated by the dotted horizontal lines. After the cars are positioned on the railroad tracks with their doors located approximately opposite the openings 5 in the crushed ice conveyor 4, the blower I is moved to a convenient point where'contact can be made between the chute 6 and the hopper. 8. The' operating position of the blower is ordinarily one which is adjacent the door of the particular freight car to be refrigerated. After the chute 6 and the blower 'l are in their proper operating positions, the particular opening 5 with which the chute is in communication, is opened so as to permit the discharge of the crushed ice into the said chute. As the blower receives and discharges the crushed ice, the flexible tube 9 is handled by an operator so the crushed ice is properly distributed over the crates of commodities located in the freight car. The force with which the crushed ice strikes the packed commodities after it leaves the discharge end of the tube 9, causes the openings located between and in the crates to be completely filled with crushed ice. The manipulation of the tube 9 while the blower is in operation, permits the 'operator to apply an even and uniform layer of crushed ice over the tops of the packed crates. The pieces of crushed ice being fairly smalLin size, cause the layer to be firm and compact thereby sealing the commodities from the air located in the top of the freight car.

By moving the apparatus from one point to another, a number of freight cars may be successively refrigerated in a comparatively short length of time..

It is apparent to those skilled in the aitthat the apparatus shownand'described herein may be embodied in other forms and constructions,

so for this and other apparent reasons, I desirev a crushed ice conveyor having a plurality of.

spaced discharge openings therein, blower means 2,: races for mechanically discharging quantities of crushed ice under pressure, means for delivering -crushed ice from one of the discharge openings in the conveyor to the blower means, and means connected to the outlet of said blower means for controlling the discharge of the ice expelled from the latter.

3. Apparatus of the kind described comprising a mechanically operated blower movably mounted on wheels, conveying means for feeding crushed ice to the blower, the said conveying means having a plurality of spaced openings through which the crushed ice may be fed to the blower, and a flexible tube connected to the outlet of said blower through which crushed ice may be discharged under pressure.

4. Apparatus of the kind described comprising in combination, a blower for directing quantities of crushed ice under pressure into an enclosure to be refrigerated, and means for automatically feeding crushed ice to the blower, which said means includes an elevated crushed ice conveyor having a plurality of spaced discharge openings along its length, and tubular means detachably connecting one of the discharge openings in the conveyor with the blower.

5. The method of icing products in a container and of cooling unoccupied space in said container which comprises conveying ice particles in a con-1. fined, flowing air stream into the space to be iced, and releasing said stream to deposit said ice particles in said space and to permit said released stream to circulate to cool unoccupied space in said container.

6. The method of icing products in a container which comprises creating a flowing stream of ice particles and air, confining said stream within a flexible conduit and conveying said stream into said container through said conduit, and controlling the discharge end of said conduit in such a manner as to deposit the ice particles upon the products to be iced.

7. A method of preserving commodities for transit in a vehicle comprising the steps of packing the commodities in said vehicle in such a manner as to leave a space between the top surface of said commodities and the inside surface of the roof of said vehicle, conveying a flowing stream of crushed ice and air into said vehicle through a flexible conduit, and discharging said stream from said conduit under pressure in such a manner as to cover said commodities with a coating of ice.

8. A method of preserving commodities for transit in a vehicle comprising the steps of placing the commodities in containers, packing the containers in said vehicle in such a manner as to leave spaces between and around said containers, and then discharging a flowing stream of crushed ice into said vehicle and against said containers under such pressure as to cover said containers with a firm, compact coating of ice.

9. Apparatus for icing commodities when packed for transit in a vehicle comprising a flexible conduit through which crushed ice may be delivered to any desired point of said vehicle,'an

ice blower having an outlet to which said con-- duit is connected and being capable of discharging therefrom a stream of air and crushed ice of sufllcient kinetic energy to pass through said conduit and issue therefrom as a stream of substantial velocity, and means. for supplying crushed ice to said blower.

CHARLES PHILLIPS. 

